Query
by PMFM
Summary: 8th grade for Pheebs is great: 4 good friends, a great boyfriend, good grades, and her old self is a little less shy. Read as Phebs goes thru dating toubles and friendships change, and questions pop up! Read and Review, please!
1. Diners and PEMDAS

Query

Hello everyone! I have been on a roll with ideas for stories lately! I just need a roll for finishing my old one. So I had to run over here to the computer (just to say, I have no Internet, so I'm going to have to do this on my bud's computer) and start typing! I never ever finish typing the story before I post it, but I do have a plan! **That's a first** Briana, shut… wait, your right; that is a first! Hmm. Well, while you guys are reading this, I'll be outside chewing on Jumbo sugar sticks dipped in chocolate sauce and listening to my Rick Dee's Weekly Top 40 and humming a 3 Doors Down song!

Disclaimer: If there's a contract for it, then it isn't mine! It's Simple as that…. Yes, when you're as hooked on television as I am, you're mind blows for creativity.

Um, dudes, I think I need a better title… any ideas for it from this chapter? Much appreciated. Cheese!

I love Phoebe, hence the name Phebga. And I loved this idea of mine! ~Hugs the keyboard and grins like a maniac until the National Guard come in and uses a tank to separate Phebga and her idea~ NO! It's mine, it's my precious, and it's my brainchild!!!!!!

Chapter One

A young teenager picked up a brush with a wooden handle from her dresser and ran it through her hair. She took a hair tie and lifted her hair into a small ponytail. She grabbed a pair of white tennis shoes and quickly pushed them on her feet and tied up the laces. 

Walking over to the corner of her desk, she grabbed a small stack of textbooks and notebooks and stuffed them into her book bag and then flung it over her shoulder. She walked out of her room, but not before looking at a picture of a boy on her desk and blowing a kiss to him lovingly.

She started running down the staircase hastily, almost tripping on the way down and stubbing her toe. She hopped on one foot into the dining room and sat down at the chair. She let go of her backpack and let it rest at the dies of her chair.

A red headed woman walked in, carrying a tray with three plates of white egg omelets, melon slices, and toast. She was smiling widely. "Hello, little pumpkin," she said to her. "How's my Phoebe doing this morning?"

"Fine, mother. Just fine," answered Phoebe, inhaling deeply. "Mm. That smells wonderful."

"It'll taste wonderful, too, Phoebe. Tuck in," said Mrs. Hyerdhal. 

Phoebe lifted her knife and fork and started to cut the omelet up. "Mom, where's Dad?"

Mrs. Hyerdhal sat down across the table and said, "Oh, he'll be down in just a second. He's _still_ trying to figure out how to make that tie work. A month into his new job and the man can't tie a knot."

Phoebe giggled and took a sip of orange juice.

"Can someone please help me up here?" asked a man in a thin Japanese accent from the second floor.

The two women tried hard to refrain from laughing out loud as they hustled up the stairs.

~*~

Phoebe walked down the traffic-packed hallway and stopped by her locker. She fiddled with the combination lock and opened it up. Kneeling down, she unzipped her backpack and emptied out her books except her Algebra 1 book and binder. She stood up and closed the door, and she almost jumped when she saw what was behind it.

A boy her age, only just a little taller, with light brown hair that was slightly spiked up was leaning on the lockers, smiling at her.

"Hey, Pheebs," he said, standing up straight.

Phoebe smiled and leaned forward to kiss him on the check. "Hi, Kyle. How's it going for you today?"

Kyle smiled and returned the peck. "Oh, it's going all right. Only I couldn't get a hold of you last night, what were you doing?"

She smiled and clenched her books tighter to her side. "I had a difficult time finding final information for my History report… you know, the one that's due tomorrow. I had to use the Internet for a while."

Nodding, Kyle picked up the binder he had dropped on the floor and playfully punched his girlfriend. "Well, I guess I'll see you in third period, okay?"

"Sure. Bye, Kay."

"Bye, Phoebe."

Barely even taking two steps, Phoebe was stopped short once again by a different friend. 

"Hey, Pheebs, what's up?"

Smiling at her best friend, Phoebe said, "Oh, I'm doing good enough, Helga. I just hope I do well in our Algebra test this morning."

"Oh, come on, Phoebe," said Helga, placing her elbow on Phoebe's shoulder, "why do you even worry about this stuff? You always finish your test before everyone else and you always get at least a 95 percent on every one of them."

Phoebe smiled. "I'm flattered, Helga, really, but I had so much extra work last night that I'm afraid I didn't get enough study time in, if you know what I mean."

Helga rolled her eyes. "Once again, I have to give the smart on advice on test-taking. You know this stuff. I wouldn't even be pulling the B average I'm making in this class if it wasn't for you. Heck, Gerald wouldn't either, and I'm pretty sure Arnold would be having trouble keeping an A, too. So, just go with the flow and do your best." She stopped suddenly in her lecture. "Whoa. Maybe that anger management class Dr. Bliss suggested me to go to for that week last year really DID do something." She shivered. "Scary."

The two thirteen year olds laughed their way to their classroom. Sitting in the second row was a pretty tall African-American with a shorter up-do than years past, and in front of him was an average height, blond, green-eyed, football-headed boy.

"Yo, Gerald, Arnold, did you save us our seats?" called Helga as they walked into the room.

"Who do you think we are, Helga," said Arnold, "dumb nitwits that can't remember their friend's wishes?"

Helga smirked. "Do you really want me to answer that, Football Head?"

"Just sit down, you two women!" called out Gerald from behind Arnold.

_Brrrrrriiiiiiiiiing!!!!!!_

"Good advice, Mr. Johansson," said Mr. McMahan.

Gerald smirked as Helga sat next to him and Phoebe sat next to Arnold.

~*~

Curly ran out of the middle school, the first one to do so, and cried out, "SANCTUARY!" He then took part in running down the block and hailing a taxi, even though the bus was stopped right on the side of the school.

The rest of the school shortly followed after, including Phoebe, Helga, Arnold, and Gerald. 

"So," said Arnold, "my house in an hour, right guys?"

"Okay, dude, but don't forget," said Gerald, "I've gotta be a half-hour late because of basketball practice."

"Oh, yeah," said Helga, "and I have to prep up for volleyball, too. I'll be there about ten minutes late, okay?"

"Oh, and I have to meet Kyle down at Slausen's, Arnold," said Phoebe, suddenly remembering what Kyle had asked her during lunch. "I'll be ten minutes late."

Arnold looked over to Gerald. "Are you sure you have to leave me alone with two girls on a Tuesday? You know what they're like."

"Shut your face, Arnold," said Helga, smirking. Phoebe just glared at him good-naturedly.

"As much as I would like to join you in this, I'm sure, ever so delightful event," said Gerald mockingly, "but I must partake in my Athletics classes."

Helga snorted and Phoebe hit Gerald on the shoulder. "Don't act like that, man," she said, "you sound way too… oh, what's a good word?"

"Stupidly preppy and showing off your vocabulary skills?" said Helga.

Phoebe nodded in agreement. "Exactly."

"Aw, come on, Pheebs," he said, walking over and placing his arm over her shoulder. "You know that I've gotta take my stupid sarcastic remarks on the painful events Arnold has to go through since baseball season is next semester while I still can."

"Yeah, he has too… wait a minute, what did you say?" Arnold punched his best friend on the shoulder once he realized the meaning of these words. "You'll have to go through the twenty minutes of study grouping while I'm doing that, since you're only in basketball and track."

Gerald winced. "Oh, right in the heart, brother."

"Will you two ever mature?" asked Phoebe, desperately.

"I think this is as far as they'll get," answered Helga.

"Excuse me, girls," said Arnold, "but I think you guys need to get going, along with Gerald. You don't want Kyle down your throat, you don't need Coach Harrison down yours, and Helga… well, your skills need to be tuned up."

"Yeah," said Helga. "I got to get going. See you in a while, guys."

"I need to go, too," said Phoebe when Helga was gone. "Bye, Gerald. Bye, Arnold."

~*~

The gentle aroma of a chicken sandwich, a hot dog, French fries, and two milkshakes met Phoebe's nostrils as the waiter placed them in front of her and Kyle. Phoebe picked up three fries and stuffed them in her mouth hungrily.

"Mm, fried foods," she said. "When all you have is foods that are non-meat and nutritious, salt and grease is the perfect thing."

Kyle lifted his foot-long and swallowed a bite. "Sushi, vegetables, and non-meat things for two months with no break. Now you know why I invited you to Slausen's. Grease, salt, and ice cream are exactly what you need."

"Yeah," said Phoebe. "My mother and father think I need more brain food."

Kyle lifted his left eyebrow. "Brain food? I thought your brain was already stuffed."

Phoebe nodded. "Parents. When you're good at something, they just want to make you even better at it. Like you and your art."

Kyle nodded and sipped on his milkshake. "Yeah. I got an A in finger painting and it was pastels and canvas everywhere, you know."

Phoebe nodded again and bit into her hamburger. "So, why, besides giving me the treat of fattening foods, did you ask me here?"

Smiling, he reached into his backpack and pulled out two long pieces of paper and a smaller one with handwriting on it. "Look at these."

Phoebe reached over and took them from his hand. She read what they said and then gasped. When she looked up, she was grinning. "Kyle, I love you so much!" she squealed, leaning over and giving him a bear hug. "Where on Earth did you get these?"

In her hand--well, know in her seat because she dropped them in excitement--were two tickets to an Evanescence concert, and the smaller piece of paper was a reservation for Chez Pierre afterward.

Phoebe kissed Kyle in happiness. "This is simply astounding, Kay! Oh my gosh, where… how did you get these?"

Kyle smiled again and kissed Phoebe. "My aunt's sister has a daughter who works at Chez Pierre, and my uncle won a contest on the radio, but he didn't know who Amy Lee even was, so he gave them to me, and now I'm giving one to you."

Phoebe stood up and squealed again. "Kyle, your family is made of miracle workers! My favorite band and the most expensive restaurant in the town all in one night!" She sighed. "I didn't go out with you for this, but it is a humongous benefit."

Kyle smiled and then glanced at his watch. "Oh, shoot! I'm sorry, Phoebe, but we can celebrate some more at a later time

. I'm about to be late for my new job at Yorkshire Souvenirs."

Phoebe looked at him with a question on her face. "Since when are you employed to Yorkshire?"

He shrugged. "I've gotta find some way to pay for the food you're gonna eat." He walked over to the counter and grabbed two to-go boxes. "Speaking of which, we can both eat soon. You've got that study group with Helga, Arnold, and Gerald."

Phoebe smiled as she helped put the food up. "Someday you'll have to accompany us. You know, when you have the time. You sure do work a lot."

"I know," he said. "And the rest of my time is taken with painting, but that just makes these dates even more special, huh?"

"After seven months of this? Of course. Bye, Kay."

"Bye, Phoebe."

~*~

"Solve the equation. When d equals 7.5, what is d to the second power times 8.7 divided by parenthesis 5 plus d parenthesis." Helga slapped her pencil on her notebook. "Phoebe? Can I have a little help here? What part do I do first?"

Phoebe sighed and scribbled something down. "The parenthesis part, then the exponent, then the multiplication-"

"Then the division! Okay, I think I've got it now."

"Helga," said Arnold, "how hard is it to remember PEMDAS?"

The group was sitting around Arnold's room. Arnold was at his computer desk, Gerald was on the couch, Helga was on the bed (for some reason she kept laying her head on the pillow), and Phoebe was lying on a pillow on the floor. Everyone had a bottle of water and some snacks next to him or her.

"I've got the same problem, Arnold," said Gerald. "I keep forgetting the math terms. I get the Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally thing stuck in my head."

Phoebe smiled at Gerald. "Oh, you poor, poor thing! Come on, Gerald, it isn't _that_ hard!"

Gerald looked back at his notebook and mumbled, "I don't even have an Aunt Sally."

"Gerald, she's right," said Arnold. "If you don't even have an Aunt Sally, why do you think of that so much?"

"Can we change the subject, please," said Helga. "I also have English homework."

"What answer did you get, Helga?" asked Phoebe.

Helga flipped through her notebook to find the page. "I got 38.614. Is that right?"

Phoebe smiled. "Correct."

Helga looked happy for about three seconds, and then went back to her homework.

Soon, however, Phoebe couldn't stand the pressure any longer. "Um, guys?" she said quietly. "Guess what Kyle got for me?"

"A rose?"

"A CD?"

"A book?"

"Gerald, you were closest," she said. She took a deep breath and grinned ecstatically. "He got us two tickets to an Evanescence concert and a reservation for Chez Pierre afterward!"

Helga closed her eyes. "Don't ever say Chez Pierre in front of me ever… are you serious?" She finally let the first group of words set in. "Oh, crap, I can't believe this!" She screamed. "Where the heck did he get that stuff?"

"That's really cool, Pheebs," said Gerald, smiling.

"Kyle must _really _love you, Phoebe," said Arnold.

Gerald snorted. "Uh, Arnold, where have you been? No duh they love each other! What was it again, Pheebs, from last week?"

Helga laughed. "I think it was, 'Oh, Kay, it's only been seven little months, it feels like such a shorter period of time.'"

Gerald snorted in laughter again and stood up. "Oh, Phoebe, I know, but I love you so much! I never, ever, ever, ever, ever want to be away from you!"

"The longest time I've ever had a boyfriend, and it has been working out flawlessly. Kiss, me, Kyle Washington!"

"Kiss me, dear, sweet, Phoebe Hyerdhal!"

Helga and Gerald started making smooching sounds and pursing their lips while Arnold looked on laughing and Phoebe sat next to the bed blushing.

"Stop it, you two!" she cried in between two laughs.

Gerald bent down, still saying, "Mwa, mwa, mwa." He came close to Phoebe's nose and made a humongous smooching sound. When he stood up, Helga began to pretend to faint. She fell on Phoebe's pillow.

At the end of their laugh, Arnold was rolling on the floor laughing so hard he was in tears. Phoebe was still blushing, but laughing just the same. Gerald was throwing a small fit and Helga was giggling loudly. Of course, Arnold was the last one to finish laughing. The other three looked at him with blank expressions until Helga gently kicked him in the ribs.

"OW! Hey, what was that for?"

"I had to stop you some how! You were drooling from your own laughter. You would've ruined your carpet."

Arnold took a deep breath and pulled himself into his seat. 

Phoebe sat on the floor, smiling. She then pulled her History notebook out of her binder and finished writing her report.

So… how do you like it? This is only the first chapter, and don't worry, there'll be tons of surprises! And just to give you all the down low, in case you didn't know, Arnold still has no idea of Helga's secret, so, no, they are not going out. I'm not going to give anything else away, because with my big mouth, you guys do NOT want me to say anything else. Unless you absolutely hate reading and just write reports based on chapter notes from a leaflet and the summary. But I'm not one of those people, so I'm going to seal my mouth with peanut butter! ~Takes out big spoon and scoops it into jar~ ~stuffs peanut butter into mouth~ ~mumbles indistinctively~  ~mumbles more~ **She says to stay tuned, because she's on a roll with this one, and I'll probably have to wait forever to use my computer again!** ~Swallows~ Hey! You're sharing it with me!

Phebga Madame Fortress Mommy


	2. The Once and FuturePresent Boyfriends

Query

You know what it feels like when you sing on a stage at a talent show, and then open your eyes and nobody's there? Yeah, and you know the feeling when you write a really cool story and nobody review's it? The two are very similarly connected, you know? ~Silence~ Aw, come on, people, do you not get that hint? ~Audience thinks~ No. Reviews. "Oh!" Yes, very nice. If anybody is reading this, go back to the first chapter, review it, come back to this chapter, read,

and review it. I do hope these instructions are not difficult. ~Tomatoes~ Okay, maybe I was a little hostile. Blech! Okay, that definitely won't come off. Okay, so, um, will nicer be better? "Yes." Okay, please review this and the last chapter. "Better." Now, can we get on with it? **Ignore her. She hasn't taken her medicine.** Get on with the show!

I don't own Hey Arnold or Evanescence… even though I wish I could meet them! Oh, yeah, no liability for anyone who says I do own the followed, yada, yada, yada, okay, let's get it on!

"I hate you."

"I know better than that."

"No, I really hate you."

"I beg to differ."

"You would. I wish my boyfriend was this nice."

"Excuse me? You don't have one."

"You know that I'm working on it."

"For approximately eleven or so years."

"Yet again, I'm working on it."

"Apparently. You sniff his pillow everyday."

"Oh, criminy! Man, I need to learn to expect this from you."

"Haven't you already?"

"Once again, I hate you. You're to observant."

"Thank you."

"That wasn't totally meant as a compliment, but… anyway, you're boyfriend is the coolest! When will he ever come over and hang with us again? I actually kinda miss him hanging out with us."

"I don't know, but I hope he does soon. He's really rather occupied these days."

"Duh. What did you think?"

"Helga?"

"Yes?"

"Do you hate me?"

"No, of course… Hey! Trick question!" A 'gr' could be heard on the other end of the receiver.

Phoebe laughed and twisted around in her desk chair. She crossed her legs and fiddled with a loose string at the bottom of her green pajama shirt. Standing up, she walked slowly to her bed, humming to a song that was being played quietly on her radio.

"What you guys did at Arnold's house was really kind of uncalled for, you know," said Phoebe.

Helga laughed. "You mean the whole scene with us acting like you and Kyle? It is kind of true, Pheebs." She inhaled deeply and started speaking in a high voice. "Oh my gawd, Kyle, I just can't believe you got these tickets for me and you got reservations at the restaurant! Oh, and French fries, too! I'm marrying you as soon as I'm eighteen! Sigh!"

Phoebe giggled softly and flopped onto her bed. "Can I have my turn?" Without waiting for an answer, she started talking again. "All the days of the week, I write the name I dare not…"

"OKAY!" yelled Helga. "Okay, you got your lashings. Now you can acquire your revenge on Mr. Johansson."

She lifted an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"Phoebe, he got about a millimeter from your face with those lips! It's an unwritten rule that an ex should not even get close to kissing you when you have a boyfriend."

"He didn't kiss me, thankfully. You know as well as I that he was just getting in on the joke the two of you started."

"EXACTLY! You paid me back by reminding me of humilities, then pay him back by… uh…"

"By doing what?"

"Something! I don't care, it's just not fair!"

Phoebe laughed again. Nightly conversations with Helga were always either hilarious or important. It was just always about whatever happened that day or whatever pops into either's head. Anyway…

Sandwiching the phone between her ear and shoulder, Phoebe walked over to her backpack and started packing it with her night's homework and her textbooks. Lifting up one of the books, she saw an old photo album that hadn't been touched since earlier in the school year.

"Hello? Hello? Pheebs, answer me!"

"Huh?" Phoebe lifted up her head quickly and realized that she was staring at the album for some time now. "Oh, my apologies, Helga. I just found a photo album with the pictures from summer in them."

She opened the album and started flipping through the pages. "Hey, here's one of us, Arnold, Gerald, Sid, Rhonda, and Nadine at the movie theater. Remember when we went to go see Evil Twin: Vengeance?"

"Yeah, I remember. We were the odd men out with you, Gerald, Sid, and Rhonda. Then you guys broke up and it was only Sid and Rhonda." Helga mused, "I wish I wasn't, though."

Phoebe grinned and turned the page and found one of her sandwiched between Kyle and Gerald. The two of them had their heads on her shoulders. In the background was the Dinoland Entrance sign. She looked at the page next to it and saw Arnold, Gerald, Helga, and Curly getting out of the roller coaster ride, laughing.

She turned the page again and saw a picture of Phoebe sitting next to Kyle, staring at what she remembered was a concert in the park that they went to… supposedly alone. "Here's one of Kyle and I… at the concert in the park." 

She could almost see Helga wincing and biting her lip. "Oh, yeah, I remember. Well, you and Gerald had just broken up, and the three of us went to-"

"I've heard the story many times, Helga, and there's no need for it to be repeated."

For the next thirty minutes, as Phoebe flipped through the picture book, she saw pictures of memories from the previous summer. There were more pictures of the park, the movie theater, the arcade, and Gerald Field. There was one of Arnold and Gerald, where Arnold had put a pair of bunny ears behind Gerald's head at the last moment. There was one of the four of them plus Kyle sitting around Arnold's room, listening to music and talking. There were pictures of her

and Gerald, her and Kyle, the four of them, the five of them, and one of Curly hanging upside down from the tall birdbath in the center of the park. The one that caught Phoebe's eye, however, was one of her and Kyle sitting in a small diner in the suburbs and drinking smoothies. Helga, who was there with Arnold and Sid, had taken it. Seeing this reminded her of previous events that day,

and it made her stomach's butterflies flutter furiously.

"Pheebs, come back, now. You're going to make me hate you again if you keep thinking about it!"

Phoebe snapped back. "Sorry, Helga. I'm just so incredibly excited!" She squealed in delight.

"That's the Phoebe I know," said Helga. "Screaming about something in her bedroom, probably jumping on her bed."

"I am most certainly not jumping on my bed!" protested Phoebe.

"Yeah, but I'll bet you will soon. Oh, man!" cried Helga suddenly. "It's late! I still have a problem on my Algebra to finish, and it looks extremely hard. Gotta jet, bye!"

"See you tomorrow, Helga."

Hanging up the phone, Phoebe looked at her own clock. She yapped in surprise at the time. It was past eleven o'clock. She scrambled to her light switch and

quickly turned off the light before her mother could see it on.

~~~

"Hey! Phoebe!"

Phoebe turned around and saw Rhonda running down the hallway in all of her glorified hairspray and expensive accessories. She cut her way to Phoebe's locker, took a few short breaths and exclaimed, "I can't believe that you got those tickets! They're supposed to be supremely hard to get! The news about you and Kyle is all over the place."

Smiling and overwhelmed, she said, "Well, that's very kind of you, Rhonda. I really don't know what else to say about it. Except…" She smirked. "I am SO EXCITED!" She took a moment to squeal like the girl she was feeling like.

Rhonda laughed with her. "Anyway, when the day after the concert comes," she said, "I want full details on anything that happens. I mean anything."

"Uh…" she stuttered. "Well, I really don't think that anything worth the detail you're hinting at is likely to happen, Rhonda. It's just a concert, and then we're going to a restaurant afterwards. It isn't going to be a, as you would put it, seductive love night."

Suddenly, Rhonda looked bored. "Really?" she asked. "Well, all the same Phoebe, even if nothing like that happens concert night, you've got a really great boyfriend." She reached into her purse and pulled out two dollars. "I'm about to head for my lunch period. Good luck!"

"Thank you," Phoebe replied. "For both things."

Rhonda smiled. "That's what I'm here for. Informing the public." She winked and hurried off to the cafeteria.

Phoebe closed her locker and began to take her own path to the cafeteria, lunch in her hand. She felt someone lace their fingers in hers and looked to her side. Kyle was there, smiling at her. "Have you heard?"

"Heard what?"

"Everyone thinks we're going to make-out at the concert or something. One year and everyone thinks that," he exasperated. He wrapped his arm casually over her shoulder. "What did your parents say about it?"

"They love the idea, but my father is suspicious for the same reasons that everyone else is," she said. She laid her shoulder on his as they walked, thinking about the up coming night. "I wonder if they'll feature songs from their upcoming album," she wondered.

"Most likely," answered Kyle. "Okay, I'm hungry, can we--"

He stopped in mid-sentence, for someone had hit him lightly on the back. On his right side, Gerald and Helga appeared, smiling.

"Hi, lovers," said Gerald. "Heading to lunch?"

Phoebe giggled quietly and said, "Yes, we are. And Kyle will actually be there!"

Kyle grinned awkwardly. "It's not my fault that I never see you two or anyone else that much anymore," he explained.

"Sure," said Helga. "Of course it isn't. when do you think you'll be back to our study group? Ever since Sid took up that Mythological Discussion Club, and Stinky got into Agriculture, and Nadine had to start helping her mom in the greenhouses, no one is ever there but us and Arnold."

"I've got those art lessons every other night and my part-time job at Yorkshire's," Kyle said. "I do have to bring home the bacon, or in this case, the tickets."

Helga hit him on the shoulder. "Are you sure that your Uncle isn't holding out on us?" she asked. "If he is, then give me the address so I can--"

"No, he's not," he interrupted. He held up his hands dramatically. "Back, Xena."

Helga rolled her eyes and calmed down.

Gerald grinned at the couple and asked, "Are you sure that the rumors about you two planning on other things aren't true?"

Phoebe's mouth dropped. "Gerald, you of all people should know that they aren't." Phoebe looked up and winked at Helga. "Of course, I remember a time when we were at that one camping trip in the seventh grade. Remember how in your sleep you were talking and--"

Gerald's eyes widened and he jumped to clasp his hand over her mouth. "Shh," she snapped. "That was because of a movie I saw before we left for the trip! Plus, all I did was talk."

Grinning, Phoebe added, "And you were pursing your lips."

Gerald moaned in defeat. "When did you get so outspoken, Phoebe? you used to be so quiet and nice."

"I dated you for five months," she said in a bland tone. "Remember? You told me to be more frank."

Kyle laughed a bit and then, changing the subject, said, "Can we please get to the cafeteria now, people?!?!"

Phoebe and Kyle walked ahead, laughing, leaving Helga and Gerald behind. They looked at each other. "Hey, she got me last night," said Helga. "That was for yesterday afternoon."

Gerald nodded, seeming to understand. Then he looked up, more serious now. "How did she get you for that episode?" he asked, a smirk starting to form.

Helga blinked and shook her head. "Never mind, G. Come on, man, I'm practically starving!"

Gerald rolled his eyes and followed Helga into the cafeteria.

~~~

Phoebe walked into her English class with Helga and Nadine, about a minute before the bell rang. They took their seats in the corner closest to the back, which also happened to be closest to their teacher's, Mrs. Wilson, desk.

"Oh, please say that I passed the last week's test," whispered Nadine. "Oh, please, oh, please, oh, please."

"You?" asked Helga. "What about me? I didn't get half of that book we were supposed to read!"

"Come on, Helga, you did so," said Phoebe, moving her binder to the floor. "The Once and Future King wasn't that difficult for you, and I know, since I quizzed you on it. We only were supposed to read half of it, anyway."

"She may have gotten it," said Nadine, "but what about me? When you quizzed me, I sucked as much as a leech does!"

Phoebe smiled. "You're exaggerating. Besides you reread every part you didn't understand. No way you failed."

They grew quiet as the bell rang and the class got off of the top of their desks, ready for their test results. Mrs. Wilson stood and began to speak. "Some of you test results weren't the best I could have given. However, on the most part, this class did better than most of them. Only about five of you failed, most received B's, and a few made A's. I'm expecting your answers for The Giver next week, but that was a smaller book, and to many, more interesting."

Helga sniffed. "You better believe it," she whispered to herself. Mrs. Wilson cam down her row and placed their test's face down on their desks. She flipped hers over and smiled. "Yes," she hissed quietly. "A 92 percent! All right!"

Nadine smiled, too. "A ninety over here."

Phoebe looked at hers and smiled softly. "A ninety-six," she said, nearly as excited as the other two. She placed it in her notebook and rested her chin on her head. She started to hum "Whisper" to herself as she daydreamed about her upcoming date of the century. She thought about how Helga, Arnold, and Gerald would definitely want to go, too. She was going to buy them all tapes of the concert in Las Vegas for their birthdays. She then remembered her visit to Chez Paris, when Helga got her gift certificate for Chez Pierre mixed up with Chez Paris. They had to get Nadine to come with a box of cockroaches, but then had to wash dishes all night. She smiled as she remembered how she had to invite with Gerald, just so that he could invite Arnold, so that Helga could impress him. Then a flash broke her thoughts. She snapped her head back to look at Helga with her camera up to her face.

"I call it: 'Classroom Pastimes'," she said. She stuffed it in her small backpack, and accused, "You were thinking of the concert, weren't you?"

"More or less," she said, pulling out her Algebra workbook. They had the day off in English since they just got their test's back. "I was actually thinking about the event that you never want me to mention again."

"Oh, you mean Chez Paris?" asked Nadine excitedly. "Oh, sorry." She looked at Helga, who was glaring. "Anyway, remember when I had to let the cockroaches loose? It took me forever to get them all back in their box."

"_You_ didn't have to clean dishes," mumbled Helga.

Phoebe turned in her seat to face Helga. "You made me invite Gerald just so that-" She stopped herself, remembering the secret. "So that you could try to fix me with him. It failed, did it not?"

"Yes, it did, and I realize that now. You two weren't meant to be," she said, playing out her role to hush the mistake. "Anyway, Nadine, when is your mom going to let you off of greenhouse duty immediately after school?"

"In two weeks," she answered. "I'll be back soon, okay?"

"Cool," Helga said. "Excuse me, guys, but I need to finish some homework really quick. Gimme a second."

Phoebe smiled and returned to her Algebra homework. Nadine went to her Science. Ina bout two minutes they would be up and talking again, but in the meantime, Phoebe couldn't help but continue to evoke daydreams of the concert.

Nice second chapter? I hope so. Please like it, please like it! ~Audience talks amongst selves~ Okay, don't tell me now then! Tell me in a review, then, okay? You BETTER NOD, TOO! ~Audience looks scared and nods quickly~ Cool. Well, the next chapter will be up soon. Think Rhonda, parental units, and Arnold (wow! he wasn't even in this chapter!). So, please review, and I'll love you all! Bye!

Phebga Madame Fortress Mommy ~___~


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